New York Knicks vs Boston Celtics Prediction: Combined starting-5 featuring Julius Randle and Jaylen Brown
The Boston Celtics take on the New York Knicks at the TD Garden on Sunday in a 2020-21 NBA game.
The New York Knicks have been off to a good start this season but have lost steam of late and enter this contest on a five-game losing streak.
Meanwhile, the 8-3 Boston Celtics are soaring high this season. The Boston Celtics are on a hot streak of five consecutive wins that has propelled them to the top of Eastern Conference table. However, the Boston Celtics will be shorthanded for this game, as several players are missing due to the league's stringent COVID-19 protocols.
New York Knicks vs Boston Celtics Prediction: Combined starting-5
In their last outing, the New York Knicks fell to the Cleveland Cavaliers 103-106.
As a team, the New York Knicks shot 48% from the field but could not make it count in the final stretch of the game. However, Julius Randle had an impressive performance with a team-high 28 points on the night. He is leading the New York Knicks in most stat categories this campaign.
The Boston Celtics took advantage of a struggling Magic side, comfortably beating them 124-97. The Celtics outgunned the Magic on the offense, making 17 threes on 40% shooting from downtown, with Jaylen Brown producing a team-high 21 points in 25 minutes from the floor.
On that note, let us take a look at a hypothetical combined starting-five of the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks.
Point Guard - Marcus Smart (Boston Celtics)
Marcus Smart has been playing for the Boston Celtics since 2014. He brings his athletic abilities to the floor on a nightly basis and competes hard at both ends of the hardwood.
Marcus Smart is having a good season for the Boston Celtics this campaign. He is the third-highest scorer in the team and is averaging 12.4 points and six assists in ten games.
Shooting Guard - RJ Barrett (New York Knicks)
RJ Barrett has been a rising talent for the New York Knicks this season.
He can get hot from the floor and is known to be a streaky shooter. He does not indulge in risky plays on the offense and plays a solid fundamental game.
With Alec Burks out of their lineup, RJ Barett has stepped up his game this campaign and has been the second option behind Julius Randle in terms of scoring.
He is averaging an impressive 16.6 points to go with 7.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 13 games.